*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*

This month’s State is Colorado!

Named after an ancient, Egyptian city comes Khemmis from Denver, CO. Doom, while admittedly not my usual cup of tea, this band had me hooked from my first listen. So much more than just slow, ominous, sludge that I normally find boring after about two or three songs. Hell, Khemmis has a number of songs that are over six minutes each that never approach being monotonous and demand to be listened to again and again. I have literally worn out their debut album “Absolution” trying to codify their sound and musical direction in my head. *Please note that I am not “bashing” Doom and am attempting to broaden my Metal horizons here. Music is purely subjective and I have just never found a Doom band that has spoken to me like Khemmis has.

If you are a fan of any New Orleans band you should be thanking Jimmy Bower. Jimmy has been one of the forefathers of metal in Louisiana. You may know him from Eye Hate God, Down or Superjoint Ritual. Jimmy is one of the most celebrated guitar players in heavy metal, and while he is a legend on that instrument he is also a well accomplished drummer as well (as you may have seen in Down). Jimmy has often been called “The Godfather of Southern Metal.” If the iconic bands mentioned above wasn’t enough he also had brief stints in the bands Corrosion of Conformity, and Crowbar. Another band that Jimmy has shredded for was The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight. It was an instrumental project so it allowed our ears to consume even more of Jimmy’s sacred sound. Continue reading →

In the world of under-appreciated and often overlooked guitarist, RICHIE KOTZEN is at the top of my list. Born February 3rd 1970 Richie started playing piano at the early age of 5. He was only 7 when he started playing guitar. Richie was discovered by MIKE VANEY of SHRAPNEL RECORDS at age 19. He went on to record his first solo album in that same year. Even though still in his teens Richie also created an instructional video called “ROCK CHOPS”, that detailed his formative techniques. Continue reading →

In the interest of our continuing coverage of International Guitar Month I attended the last stop on The Ultimate Guitar Experience Tour featuring guitarists David Klosinski, Andy Timmons, Jennifer Batten and Uli Jon Roth in Melbourne, FL. I also attended the second show on the tour in Orlando six weeks ago (please see The Ultimate Guitar Experience) which was my first article for Metal Nexus and what earned my spot on the staff. At the show in Orlando, I got to see the improvisational genius of Andy Timmons and Jennifer Batten due to difficulties with Uli’s band and their temporary work visas. While quite a treat for those of fortunate enough to attend, I wanted to see the show as intended by this guitar master.

*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*

This month’s State is Colorado!

On this, the second week of our State of the Art: Colorado and in the vein of our coverage of International Guitar Month comes theresurgence of the band Cellador. The band was started in Omaha, NE in 2003 under the name Aposte by guitarist and vocalist Chris Petersen. By 2004 the band had been renamed and released their first, self-recorded demo EP “The Burning Blue”. The following year, they released “Leaving All Behind” which caught the attention of Metal Blade Recordswho signed Cellador and quickly released “Enter Deception” in 2006. This album was hailed by fans and critics alike, often comparing them to DragonForce and the like. By 2009 this stellar, established band had splintered due to differing interests and desired directions. With only a few original members left and an uncertain record contract, Cellador packed up and moved to Denver, CO, where they remain today, in search of a bigger stage for their musical inclinations. After a five year hiatus, interviewing potential band members to regrow the band, “Honor Forth” was finally released in 2011. This vaulted the band to new heights and put them on festivals, tours and shows with notable bands such as Trivium, All That Remains, Bullet For My Valentine, Marty Friedman, Queensryche, Hatchet, Exmortus, Huntress and many, many others. To date, they have extensively toured the United States, Mexico, Canada and even played the Loud Park Festival in Japan. Taking their time in the studio over the course of 2015 and early 2016, their much-anticipated new release is due out sometime in 2016. With a cohesive, new lineup and management, Cellador is ready to set the world alight once again!

Born June 11th 1963 in New Jersey guitarist JOE HOLMES is best known for his 6 year run as the sideman of heavy metal icon OZZY OSBOURNE. What you may not know is that Joe recently experienced a resurgence to his career with his new band FARMIKOS. But more about FARMIKOS later. Let’s start at the beginning and travel the road with Joe that made him one of the best guitarists on the planet.

I was in high school the first time I heard Vinnie Moore’s “Mind’s Eye” and was immediately hooked; heart and soul. At the time I was playing bass in a local Thrash band but always loved all of the, then emerging, Neo-Classical guitarwork by other greats like Yngwie Malsteen, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Richie Blackmore, Tony MacAlpine and many others. Vinnie’s guitar playing struck me immediately and straight to my soul. I cannot quite place my finger on what made his music resonate so deeply but I still cannot shake his magical playing to this day. Blazing speed? Silky smooth “feel”? Perfect melodies? Emotional connection? All of these? Something else? I just don’t know. Regardless, I have probably listened to “Mind’s Eye” and “Time Odyssey” (this is actually where my pen name originated) literally thousands of times. They simply never get old and just feel like home to me. In my humble opinion, he defines “The Perfect Guitarist”. Continue reading →

*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*

This month’s State is Colorado!

Starting this month’s State of the Art: Colorado off with one hydrogen bomb of a bang: Source. Right out of the gate, this triumvirate of fine musicians from Boulder confound with dazzling, atmospheric and technical Progressive Metal in the vein of other notably uncharacteristic Metal bands like Opeth, Tool and Porcupine Tree. So good, in fact, producer Scott Wilson described them as a supergroup shortly after meeting with them in the studio even though Source was formed only three years ago.

I have been a huge supporter of local and emerging bands for years and have met and am fortunate to call many of them friends. Since joining the Metal Nexus staff, I have had a desire to cover this local music I love in and around Florida and carve out a small space for some of my personal interests. Well, last week we were able to partner with host Chris Marsh to cover Mayfest on May 21, 2016 with many great bands that I know and been introduced to a couple that never hit my radar. For the dual purpose of introducing “Odyssey’s Scene” and ramp up to Mayfest, I am very pleased to introduce you to: The Glorious Rebellion.

*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*

This month’s State is California!

Coming to us from Los Angeles, CA this week is the killer, Melodic Death Metal band Dreaming Dead. Founded by front-woman vocalist and exceptional guitarist Elizabeth Schall and drummer Mike Caffell in 2006, this band has garnered fans from around the world and has toured much of the United States, but generally plays in the Southern and Mid-California areas. Comprising the rest of the band is guitarist Chris McCarthy and former Manslaughter bass player William Palacios-Toledo.